Boiler level alarm system



W. E. PROCTOR BOILER LEVEL ALARM SYSTEM Jan: 3, 1950 5 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed May 27, 1946 Jan. 3, 1950 w. E. PROCTOR 2,493,548

BOILER LEVEL ALARM SYSTEM Filed May 27, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 3, 1950 w. E. PRocTo'R 2,493,548

' BOILER LEVEL ALARM SYSTEM Filed May 27, 1946 s Sheets-Shet s 5 /j I -4- F 20 F ii 9 %5 i/zd J7 id 3 5 pk H E ll} /fl k I [a E 12' 5 I a/ I 3110mm Patented Jan. 3, 1,950

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOILER. LEVEL QLARM SYSTEM William E. Proctor, Baltimore, Md.

Application May 27, 1946,'Serial No. 672,574

This invention relates to expansible boiler level alarm panels and has for its principal object the provision of an extremely compact panel which will serve for one, two, three, or more boilers, recording the pressure in each boiler and warning of either high or low level and in addition, sounding an audible alarm to draw attention to the panel board whenever the water in any boiler is either too high or too low.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of means for indicating visually that the water is either too high or too low, simultaneously sounding an alarm and including means whereby the attendant, as soon as he finds from the panel which boiler is at improper level, he may instantly silence the horn but may leave on the light, indicatin either high level or low level and of course indicating which boiler is at fault.

Contrary to other systems, the correction of the level in the boiler restores the audible alarm to operative position simultaneously with the going out of the lamp or other visual signal.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a board, consisting of four panels.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the two central panels with their covers removed.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism for the horn panel.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the boiler panels.

Figure 5 is a wiring diagram.

In Figure2 the two central panels have their covers removed. For each installation there is a single horn panel l0 and as many pressure panels as there are boilers, the latter bein numbered ll, 12, and I3, all identical. The fourth pressure panel, if used, would be at the left of the panel I I. It is not contemplated to apply the system to more than six boilers as it is more convenient in such cases to have two separate boards. The electric'power lines enter through the sleeve M at the top of panel l-O. A thread-' ed connection IS in each of the boiler panels is connected to the pressure connection swivel of the boiler level regulating element. At the bottom of each pressure panel there is a petcock l6 for emergency use.

In the center of the horn panel there is a lamp 20 which, when lighted, indicates that the electric power is on and the absence of light in this lamp indicates that the panels are not in use. In each of the other panels, H, [2, etc. there is an upper amber lamp 2| which indicates that the water level is too high and a lower red light 3 Claims. (Cl. 177-311) 22 which indicates that the water level is too low and below there is the usual retard gauge 23 which indicates the pressure in the respective boiler. In each of the pressure panels there is a manually-operated push button 25 which,

when pressed in, disconnects the horn from the electric circuit, but does not turn out whichever of the two lights, 2| or 22, may have been lit. Disconnecting the horn enables the workman to correct the error without the annoyance of the continually sounding horn, and still enables a second workman, who has heard the sound, to come to the board and determine at once which boiler is out of order and whether the water is too high or too low. The push button 25 is so connected that while the horn is temporarily disconnected, whenever the water level reaches normal limits, the light goes out and simultaneously with this the horn is restored to duty and will sound again as soon as the water in any of the boilers rises too high or falls too low. The boards are secured together by a unit visor 3|] which is made in several sizes, that is, to accommodate the proper number of units, 2, 3, 4;, 5

or more.

A bottom tie bar 3] aids in combining the several panels into a unit and with the visor top provides the means for securing the board to a vertical wall or bulkhead.

Referring particularly to the horn panel in Figures 1 and 2, the electric line wires are led through the fuses 35 to the four-point terminal block 36 and to the clear lamp 3'! which, as will be noted, always burns if power is delivered to the unit. The lamp 3? is covered by a green beehive lens 2!]. Wires 40 and 4| lead-from the terminal block to a horn 42 of well-known type, having its bell 43 spaced slightly from the bottom of the panel casing.

Referring more particularly to Figure 3, the visor top 30 has on one side the visor 48 and at the rear end an upturned bracket member 49, preferably extending slightly rearward of the base box 50. A sub-base panel 5| is supported at the bottom by the fairly sturdy channelshaped bracket 54, secured between the rear of the base box and the sub-base quite close to the angular bracket which supports the fairly heavy horn 42. The bottom of the horn panel has a very large hole, preferably circular, and a wire mesh bolted to the panel casing as by the aluminum rivets 58 passing through fiber bushings 59.

Referring more particularly to Figure 4, a sub-base 80, divides the power channel into a forward section and a rearward section, the lat- 1 ter accommodating the pressure pipe 6|, which connects at its threaded portion with a pressure pipe leading from the boiler regulator.

The pressure pipe 6| leads to a brass cross 62, the central opening of which leads to an expansion tube 64 of soft copper and leading through the brass T 66 to the pressure gauge 23 and the petcock Hi. The two side openings of the cross 62 lead through soft copper ressur tubing 68 and 69 to the high and low pressure switches 10 and. H, respectively.

The low pressure switch is set to close at 36 pounds and the high pressure switch is set tg close at 80 pounds although obviously these iig; ures can be altered at will. The closing or the high pressure switch causes thelight Zia tgburn.

These lights are covered with bemteuefiseszr and 22 which are colored amberand red 'rTespectively to distinguish over? the green lens 20 which indicates that the power is on I The button 25, the pressing of which has the efiect of silencing the horn, engages a flat spring 80 anchored to the removable front 8| ot the panel as at 82; The spring 80 carries anirisulating pin 83 which engages the armature 84 or,- the coil 85;. hinge 86 on bracket 81..

The armature is mounted on a flexible When the button 2 5 is pushed all the way in the armature is held tothe' coil by virtue of the electric current passing from the switch 16 or H to the lamp 2Ia or 22c but it the button is not pressed far. enough in to hold the armature against its magnet, the armature will fall away from the coil and the horn will continue I power line 9! is connected through wire Q3 tn the high level switch 1i! and through Wire 911 with the low level switch 1 I, each of course having two sets. of contacts.

Assuming that the water level in the boiler corg responding to. the left-hand panel in Figure 34 has dropped below the safe point, thepurrent flows through line 95, wires 93 and ilfl, through the closed switch points 9%, wire 91, to lamp 2 IiQ-j turning by wire Bland $8 to the secondpoint 9,5, of the connecting terminal plug of panel ll Thev other switch points lilo of lowfpressure, switch 1- close at the same time and this, conveys current through wire ml, armature 84, wire N12, to. the. third point of the terminal plug just below point 99 and this is connected through wire. 4!] to the horn returning through wire 4! to, line wire 91. Thus the horn (l2 sounds and the light. 22 burns. The attendant now rushes to the'boapd, c tains the trouble, and then presses, th button 25. This lifts the armature. 84- (as, seen in Figure 7 f4) bringing it into contact with the two terminals of the coil 85.

With the rise of the armature 84 the current passes through the coil and consequently magnetizes it, locking the armature 84 to the coil. This breaks the current flow-V ing through wire I62 and consequently the horn ceases to sound but the light is still lit. When the feed water pump (not shown) has been operated to raise the water level the bpiler the switch 1| opens at both sides, 96 an, Hill, and cbnsequently current no longer flowsthroug'h the'coil 85 and the armature 84 as seen in Figure 5 drops. Actually it is pressed away from the coil by the spring 86- as, seen. n E r Havin-g d gribed my invention, what I claim is: if In combination, a pair of visual signals one to indicate a departure on one side of a chosen range, arid the other visual signal to indicate a departureon the other side of said chosen range, a third signal adapted' 'to call attention to the lighting of one of the visual signals,'two, pressure operated switches, each having two pairs oi coritacts, one pair of contacts operating the'associated visual signal, the other pair of contacts operating the common third signal, said other pair of contacts which operate the third signal, being. in' parallel with each other, manual'means to render the third signal inoperative, without extinguish ing the visual signal, and means for'restoringthe' manual means to initial pos'ition'upon the extinguishing of the visual signal. 2.} The device of claim l'ih which the pressure operated switches respond to highor 'low'water in the boiler of a ship and thethird signal is an electrically operated horh. 3. The device ofclaim'l in which the visual signals are electric lights both controlled by single pressure. pipe, each light being "conheted to one of the pressure operated switches, ahdthe' switches being set to operate atdiiferent -chosen pressures, whereby one light may "indicatethaft the water in a boiler'is too high and theothl may indicate that thewa'ter has falienteiowa safe level.

" WILLIAM E. PRoe'roR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references, are 9f record in the file'of this patent? 

